iPhone 6 Release Date Rumored for Fall With a Twist

A new iPhone 6 report indicates Apple is planning to release two large iPhone 6 devices this year, but unlike previous rumors it suggests the larger device will not use the traditional iPhone brand.

This new rumor mentions a Q3 iPhone 6 release date for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model and claims the largest iPhone model to date will carry a new brand. The iPhone 6 release date window of Q3 would place the new iPhone models in July, August or September, which is in line with other rumors and with past Apple release cycles.

According to the report, Sapphire production for the larger iPhone 6 display could be a limiting factor in the timing and in which iPhone models ship with Sapphire.

The iPhone 6 release date could land in the fall and a new rumor claims Apple may brand the larger iPhone different.

Earlier iPhone 6 rumors suggest two distinct iPhone models with larger screens, which this report falls in line with, but there is a twist to the news as the Economic Daily News reports Apple will not use the iPhone brand for a larger 5.6-inch device with a Sapphire display, citing first-hand supply chain sources.

It’s not clear what this new brand would be for the larger 5.6-inch device that sources are talking about, though they claim it will be the only new model with a Sapphire display. Apple is pushing to bring a Sapphire production facility online in Arizona with multiple reports that it plans to use the harder material to cover the larger iPhone 6 screens. This is the first report to claim a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will stick with a Corning display and a larger model will use Sapphire.

It seems unlikely that Apple would mess with the iPhone branding that consumers are familiar with. The most likely brand for a large iPhone 6 and a larger iPhone 6 is something with a single letter similar to the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, but Apple is not restricted to past naming conventions.

If Apple does plan to use a new brand for the larger device we could see the company tap a “Pro” or “Air” name to the model or tap into an unknown special feature that has yet to leak. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is part of the Note brand for Samsung, which earned the name thanks to a built-in S Pen that owners can use to take notes.

The iPhone 6 name is not set for the larger model according to this report.

The iPhone 6 display size remains a moving target for rumors, though many reports agree on two iPhone 6 models and similar sizes. This report, originally spotted by Macotakara, claims a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 an a larger “experimental” 5.6-inch iPhone model with the new branding. There is no word on the resolution of the screen on either model.

Apple’s 2014 iPhone plans are far from confirmed at this point, but the multitude of sources continue to point in similar directions. Given the source of these leaks on the supply chain it makes sense that we will continue to see some variance in the iPhone 6 rumors for the next several months.

Some reports claim an iPhone 6 release date in the summer, which is not out of the question, but it is less likely given Apple’s previous release windows and the need to ramp up Sapphire production. This guide explains why iPhone 6 release date rumors don’t always match, even if the additional data in a report is worth considering.